Treasurer's Cashbook with Running Balance

Who this is for

Every payment in and out, in date order, with the balance after each one. The cashbook starts from the opening balance you enter and keeps a running figure line by line, so the book can be checked against the bank statement or the cash tin at any point in the month.

Treasurers of clubs, societies, small charities and community groups, and anyone who has just taken over the books and wants one clear record for the committee and the examiner.

What this helps you track

• Every receipt and payment, with the date, reference and who it came from or went to
• The category each line belongs to, for the year-end accounts
• The balance after every line, starting from your opening figure
• Total income, total spending and the net movement for the period
• A closing balance to agree with the bank statement or cash count

How to use it

1. Write the organisation, the account (bank or cash in hand), the period and your name, and enter the opening balance from the last statement or count.
2. Record each receipt and payment on its own line in date order, with a reference such as a cheque number, receipt number or bank reference.
3. Put the amount in the income or the expenditure column, never both, and choose the category you report under.
4. The running balance, totals and closing balance are worked out in the browser and the workbook; on paper, add or subtract each line from the balance above.
5. At the end of each month tick the closing balance against the bank statement and note any difference before starting the next sheet.
6. Keep one cashbook per account, and file the receipts in reference order so the examiner can follow each line.

Formats

• Printable PDF (A4 and US Letter)
• Fillable PDF with form fields
• Fill in online, saved in your browser
• Excel / Google Sheets workbook

The printable is laid out inside a box that fits both A4 and US Letter, so the two files are identical and neither one is scaled. The fillable PDF has real form fields. The workbook uses plain formulas only — SUM, IF, COUNTIF and the like — so it opens in Excel, LibreOffice and Google Sheets without anything breaking, and every calculated cell is grey so you can see which figures it worked out.

How to print

Download the A4 or US Letter file to match the paper in your printer, open it in a PDF reader and print at 100% — not "fit to page", which shrinks the writing space. Both files leave a 14 mm margin, which clears the unprintable edge on home printers. To print the online version with your entries in it, use the Print this sheet button, which prints only the sheet and none of the page around it. More on printing.

Questions

Should I keep bank and cash in the same cashbook?

It is clearer to keep one sheet per account, one for the bank and one for cash in hand, so each running balance can be checked against something real. Transfers between them appear on both sheets, once as income and once as spending.

What categories should I use?

Whatever your accounts or your funders ask for — subs, donations, grants, hire, events, insurance, equipment and so on. The category column is open so the list can match the headings in your annual report.

How do I show the balance from last month?

Enter the closing balance from the previous sheet as the opening balance at the top. The running balance column starts from that figure, so each new period carries straight on from the last.

Does this replace proper accounts?

It is the day-to-day record that accounts are prepared from. What your organisation must produce each year depends on its size, its constitution and the rules where you are, so check those with your committee or regulator.